Case Keenum’s the elder statesman at Texans rookie mini-camp

Case Keenum knows the Texans’ offense and is passing along his knowledge to the new faces on the practice field. (Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle)

In addition to the undrafted and drafted rookie signees, the tryout rookies and the tryout veterans, the Texans were able to include practice squad players in this weekend’s rookie mini-camp, as long as those players had never been active.

So for the past two days, quarterback Case Keenum has returned to being a veteran leader at practice. He’s helped rookie quarterback Collin Klein and given tips to rookie receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

“Little bit different out here,” Keenum said. “… It’s a position I’m pretty used to and I like. Being the guy. It’s good.”

Keenum spent last season on the Texans practice squad after a record-setting career at the University of Houston.

“For him to come in here and he didn’t really take a ball under center in college, now he’s taking them under center and he understands what we’re trying to do,” Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said. “His footwork has been very good. He understands the progressions, having had the chance to hang around here and work with Matt and T.J.”

Head coach Gary Kubiak used the word “automatic” to describe how Keenum’s reps are this year. Keenum agreed.

“There’s certain things from play calls to just knowing progressions on routes that I don’t have to grind out and think through every time I hear a play call,” Keenum said. “It just automatically comes and I can think more about defenses and keys and what I need to be thinking about instead of just, ‘OK I’ve got this footwork, I’ve got this route, this guy’s got this, this.’ I just know it.”